1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to engines, including motors, of the internal combustion type, and in a specific case to reciprocating engines free of momentum change in the movement of their piston and cylinder parts.
More particularly, the invention is concerned with improving the basic internal combustion engine by eliminating many of the commonly associated albeit peripheral parts such as coolant systems, lubrication apparatus, and crankshafts that add weight, drain horsepower and cost efficiency. Further, by eliminating reciprocation of pistons, energy usually lost to reversing piston momentum within the engine is regained. By redesign and optimization of all facets of the internal combustion process we are able to present an engine that has a remarkably high horsepower to weight ratio, operates efficiently at low and high rpms, and runs on virtually any combustible fluid, including synfuels and biofuels as well as conventional hydrocarbon fuels and in different modes including diesel mode.
The invention uses an optimized cylinder and piston assembly and avoids e.g. Wankel rotor and stator assemblies that have proved expensive to build and hard to maintain.
The invention carries cooperating piston and cylinder pairs on separate, but intersecting, angularly counter-rotating carrier wheels to achieve interfittment in their relative movement but without the reversal of momentum that characterizes prior art devices. Momentum in the invention engine is angular and is never reversed, giving an inherent flywheel effect.
By carrying the cooperating cylinder/piston pairs at a chordal disposition relative to the circles defined by their respective carrier wheel, and mutually coordinating their junction in timed relation, pistons enter their cylinders in coaxial disposition, eliminating hitherto required complex mechanisms to tilt the pistons or cylinders into mating orientations. The thus carried pistons being fixed on the wheel are readily used without intricate fittings to deliver by injection combustible fluid fuel to the cylinder once interfittment is achieved for mixing with air or other combustible gases within the cylinder volume also simply in view of the fixed nature of the cylinders on their carrier wheel. Progressive penetration of the cylinder by the piston body, necessarily effected by the intersecting angular paths of the respective carriers, compresses the air fuel mixture as the cylinder exhaust port is closed or partially closed suitably by a spring biased valve and valve controller against escape of the mixture, as will be described.
Fuel detonation is typically by a spark plug or similar device, or by compression as in a diesel. Injection of fuel is controlled for efficiency and can be varied in volume, timing and shape for the application presented. Similarly, fully or partially maintaining cylinder exhaust port valve closure provides a means of varying engine output while maintaining the angular rotation of the carrier wheels constant by varying the amount of combustible mixture under piston compression in proportion to cracking or not of the valve before detonation. A further variation in output is provided by varying the piston stroke suitably while maintaining carrier wheel angular rotation and piston and cylinder positioning constant by moving the carrier wheels more or less apart to vary the active cylinder volume and thus fuel mixture compression without changing the basic operation of the wheels, pistons and cylinders. These designed-in variabilities in mode of operation enable tailoring the engine to a wide variety of applications and to the use of many different fuels.
Once the fuel is detonated, the exhaust port being closed, the piston and cylinder are driven apart thereby and their movement impels their respective carrier wheels to further rotation effecting rotation of a power take off shaft coupled to either or both carrier wheel hubs for e.g. powering vehicle movement. Auxiliary devices such as a blower can be driven off the power take off as well. Upon fuel detonation and concomitant piston withdrawal, the cylinder exhaust port valve, generally disposed at the bottom of the cylinder opposite the face of the piston, and adjacent the spark plug if present, is opened. The exhaust gases are vented out of the cylinder via the valved exhaust port in the cylinder bottom wall, e.g. to a catalytic converter.
Heat from combustion is cooled from the piston and cylinder by exposing these parts to coolant typically comprising only ambient air as they are carried circularly toward their next conjunction. The pistons and cylinders are completely separated by withdrawal of the piston from its cooperating cylinder facilitating their respective cooling. The cylinder exhaust port is open and ambient air coolant can enter and pass through the cylinder volume from bottom and top.
2. Description of the Related Art
Engines using rotary components rather than reciprocating are known. Reciprocation of pistons and or cylinders is achieved in this invention without change in momentum using chordally (not radially) disposed and angularly carried cylinders intersecting with chordally (not radially) disposed oppositely carried pistons for interfittment in coaxial relation; thus are the complications of radial disposition systems, such as cooperating parts being relatively rounded to mate properly, with an accompanying loss of efficiency, and/or parts pivotally brought into alignment for interfittment requiring beefy aligning gearing to withstand the forceful shocks of repeated detonations between the interfitted parts.